Property Tax Reimbursement Program (Senior Freeze)

This program is designed to freeze the burden of increasing real estate taxes for qualified applicants by establishing a base year of eligibility and comparing that “base” with any subsequent year, the difference to be refunded by the State annually. Eligibility must be continuous otherwise a new base year must be established.
Qualifications are as follows:

Must make application annually (with the state)

Homeowners age 65 or older or receiving Federal Social Security Disability Benefits and who paid property taxes on their principal residence in New Jersey;

Applicants must be NJ residents for at least 10 years, and living in their current home for the last 3 years;

Applicant must meet certain income limits for both the “base year” (year applicant first became eligible) and the application year. Income requirements are set by the State annually;

Property taxes must be paid in full within the year applied for.

Homestead Rebate for the Year 2014

Amounts received under the Homestead Benefit Program are in addition to the State's other property tax relief programs. The total amount of all property tax relief benefits received (homestead benefit, property tax reimbursement, property tax deduction for senior citizens/disabled persons, and property tax deduction for veterans) cannot exceed the amount of property taxes paid on the applicant's principal residence for the same year.

Under New Jersey Law,
if an applicant receives a benefit that is larger than the amount for which they are eligible, the applicant will be required to repay any excess received.
The amount owed can be deducted from the applicant's homestead benefit or income tax refund or credit before the payment is issued.

Applicants must meet the following conditions to be eligible for a 2014 homestead rebate:

Own and occupy a home in New Jersey that was their principal residence on October 1, 2014;

You meet the 2014 income requirements

The home must be subject to local property taxes, and 2014 property taxes must have been paid.

The homeowner rebate automated telephone filing system (1-877-658-2972) and Internet filing application on the Division of Taxation Web site (
www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation
) will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the filing period.

Members of the public with questions should be referred to the following: